Homemade Liqueurs

Instructions:

An ideal gift for any occasion.

At the Base of it All
Most homemade liqueurs start with vodka. This spirit is an ideal base for liqueurs because it's colorless and flavorless, making it the perfect blank canvas. Try creating some of the most popular liqueur flavors, like coffee, amaretto, and Irish cream--they all rely on vodka for their kick. Or, you may prefer to infuse the subtle essences of herbs, spices or fruit. Don't be afraid to experiment with rum, tequila, gin, brandy, and whiskey infusions as well.

Whichever alcohol you decide to use as your base, choose a decent-quality brand. There's no need to break the bank for the premium varieties, but avoid the cheapest ones if you want to enjoy your liqueurs straight.

Pick a Flavor
There are two ways to add flavor to liquor:

1. Mix flavored extracts right into liquor.
2. Choose the flavoring ingredients in their raw form and allow them to steep in the alcohol for days or weeks.

Using extracts is the fastest way to make a batch of liqueur, and there are a few cases (e.g. with almond extract), where this is the best way to achieve the flavor you're after. More often than not, though, you will get the best results when you slowly infuse the liquor with fresh ingredients. For example, lemon cordial made with fresh lemon zest will taste much better than something made with lemon extract. Using fresh ingredients also allows you to introduce more variety; you won't be able to find as wide a variety of extracts and essences as you will of fruits and herbs and spices.

Infusing liquor is not an exact science, but more a matter of taste. Infuse each flavor to suit your own preferences and if it ends up tasting too strong, you can always dilute it with additional liquor.

Try combining a couple of different flavors in the same batch: how about apple-cinnamon, chile-lemongrass, lemon-tarragon, orange-cranberry, or raspberry-vanilla? Just don't try to pack too many different things into one bottle, or you won't be able to distinguish the flavors.

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